UK: Zimbabweans Celebrate Coup In London Embassy

Zimbabweans in London gathered outside the country's embassy in to celebrate the arrest of Robert Mugabe and applauding the military coup.

They were joined by compatriots from the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, a UK charity which has protested weekly against the abuses of the Harare government but on Wednesday, they came to celebrate what they hope is the fall of Mugabe.

Chair of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation Chipo Parirenyatwa who came to the UK in 2000 after her husband was forced to flee the country because of his opposition to the Mugabe Government said: "I am happy with what's happened but today is a comma not a full stop. We need real change. Mugabe and his family treated the country as their personal possession and a lot of people are very loyal to them. I don't know how the army will do but I am optimistic there need to be elections in a peaceful manner with the international community involved. I think there is a fifty-fifty chance of that happening."'

Phillip Mahlahla is 43 and fled Zimbabwe five years ago seeking political asylum in the UK: "I am happy that it looks like Robert Mugabe has gone, but they need to make sure the whole family is out of power in order to stop the corruption. Corruption is always there in Zimbabwe no matter who is in charge.

Roseline Mukucha, 41 fled persecution and came to the UK in 2005 after publicly speaking against the government: "I publicly spoke against the government and was threatened for years, the threats got worse and I was scared for my life so I left. I think this is a step forward in the right direction. The army are trying to stop what is going on with the government who have abused human rights for too long.

"At the beginning he [Mugabe] was fine but he's now brought the country to ruins. This soft coup has given us hope."

Lorrain Mudzimu, 34, is worried about relatives back home: "I'm scared for my family and friends back home, I went to Zimbabwe in March for my dowry and everything seemed fine but now the streets are empty.

"People have had enough of the government. We have a president who drinks £500 bottles of champagne but people are living in poverty, and women in labour have to bring their own birthing gloves to the hospital.